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Car Advice

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I am thinking about buying a low mileage pre-owned BMW X3.. I am 6'3" , 240 and I don't fit into a lot of Japanese cars.. I drive long distances periodically (10 hours+) , and I haul my Bike during the season, May- September..

The X 3 fits me. And it seems reasonably priced compared to Lexus for example. Acura is uncomfortable, CRV just a box.. my next down is a Toyota Rav 4 with limited trim. Not quite as posh inside but serviceable.

Any comments to help me make a decision?

I would check on how the X3 depreciates compared to the other cars you are looking at. That small SUV in a luxury brand might be almost undesirable in the used car market as it gets older. It's a car that is real niche for a certain group of people and the cost of repairing it could cross it off people's lists as it gets older.
 
I would check on how the X3 depreciates compared to the other cars you are looking at. That small SUV in a luxury brand might be almost undesirable in the used car market as it gets older. It's a car that is real niche for a certain group of people and the cost of repairing it could cross it off people's lists as it gets older.

This is my go to move. I buy older luxury models. They have usually been well-maintained, and are really comfortable. Rich people want a newer model, so I get a 10 year old car with low miles that is worth 1/10 of the price. A BMW loses like 90% of its value in 10 years.

Yeah the maintenance can be a little more, but in my mind it is worth it because I am still driving a really nice looking car that is super comfortable and has really great engineering and options.

I'd never buy a new one under any circumstances.
 
This is my go to move. I buy older luxury models. They have usually been well-maintained, and are really comfortable. Rich people want a newer model, so I get a 10 year old car with low miles that is worth 1/10 of the price. A BMW loses like 90% of its value in 10 years.

Yeah the maintenance can be a little more, but in my mind it is worth it because I am still driving a really nice looking car that is super comfortable and has really great engineering and options.

I'd never buy a new one under any circumstances.

I'm the same way. If I'm going to buy a 10 year old BMW which they will all fall close to the same price range, why would I pick the X3 over one of the sedans or an X5. That's why I think it will be hard to sell in the future. It's a car that falls in the middle in a bad way of fun and small vs having the utility to haul people, stuff, or tow. Most people will lean one way or another with a BMW.
 
This is my go to move. I buy older luxury models. They have usually been well-maintained, and are really comfortable. Rich people want a newer model, so I get a 10 year old car with low miles that is worth 1/10 of the price. A BMW loses like 90% of its value in 10 years.

Yeah the maintenance can be a little more, but in my mind it is worth it because I am still driving a really nice looking car that is super comfortable and has really great engineering and options.

I'd never buy a new one under any circumstances.
How would the price of insurance for a 10 year old X3 compare to say a 2016 CRV?
 
How would the price of insurance for a 10 year old X3 compare to say a 2016 CRV?

Not sure exactly, but I don't think the X3 is 10 years old yet. My insurance is as low as if I was driving a corolla.
 
How would the price of insurance for a 10 year old X3 compare to say a 2016 CRV?

My guess is liability would be similar. Collision would be more for the X3 because parts are more expensive and they are harder to repair. A CR-V will have used parts and 3rd party parts easily available.

I've found that bigger the car the more the liability insurance is. SUVs always seem to be more than sedans.
 
My guess is liability would be similar. Collision would be more for the X3 because parts are more expensive and they are harder to repair. A CR-V will have used parts and 3rd party parts easily available.

I've found that bigger the car the more the liability insurance is. SUVs always seem to be more than sedans.
I found a 2012, 40k miles. Still had 9 mm on the original tires. You could read the part numbers stamped in the undercarriage ( no rust). They wanted 17 for it, and I hesitated due to maintenance cost. Couple flew in from Missouri and bought it..

In researching, BMW restricts access to service docs. You can get a light version as an owner for 15 bucks, but if you want the whole thing it's 250 a month.. I have a great mechanic, but until we get access, we are not going there.. likely wind up with Rav 4, maybe Subaru outback. Sedans are out. I have a tricky back and doing the twist squats daily is a bad plan..
 
I found a 2012, 40k miles. Still had 9 mm on the original tires. You could read the part numbers stamped in the undercarriage ( no rust). They wanted 17 for it, and I hesitated due to maintenance cost. Couple flew in from Missouri and bought it..

In researching, BMW restricts access to service docs. You can get a light version as an owner for 15 bucks, but if you want the whole thing it's 250 a month.. I have a great mechanic, but until we get access, we are not going there.. likely wind up with Rav 4, maybe Subaru outback. Sedans are out. I have a tricky back and doing the twist squats daily is a bad plan..

I personally wouldn't pay a premium for an older low mileage car out of warranty especially if it's going to be your daily drive. Find a certified pre-owned car instead even if it has more miles, at least you will have a warranty with it. Or buy one with 60-75k and pocket the 4-6k difference in price.

The low mileage car will need scheduled maintenance for how old it is before hitting the needed miles. I'm not sure you really will gain much in terms of cost savings.
 
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New EV vs Gas car

Americans drove 3.22 trillion miles in 2016. There were 263.6 million vehicles. 3,222,000/263.6 = 12,215 miles per vehicle per year. That's 33.5 miles per vehicle per day. If the vehicle were a Tesla model 3 long range or equivalent (so electric car), it takes just 8KWh/day per vehicle to drive that distance. If it were a Tesla model X or equivalent efficiency (so electric SUV), it takes just 11 KWh/day per vehicle on average to drive that distance.

A small solar system on a person's roof can completely generate enough power to fully offset the complete power needs for 2 cars, and do so at a cheaper price than buying that power from the power company.

On average each electric vehicle also eliminates the need to refine and burn 12,215/24.7 or 494.5 gallons of gasoline each year for the lifetime of those vehicles. That's an average of about 10k pounds of carbon emission eliminated each year every time someone buys an EV instead of gas car.

In addition, it takes the equivalent of 4KWh of energy per gallon to refine gasoline. That's the equivalent 2,000 kWh of energy saved, or about half of what the vehicle needs to operate for a year.

Think about all of that the next time you decide to buy a new gas powered car instead of an electric car.
 
Awesome on both parts then. I will not call you a hypocrite for sure. Now figure out a way of not using airplanes much and you really are reducing your carbon footprint to reasonable levels.

I refuse to fly on any trip under a 6 hour drive, and bought a decently fuel efficient car. My big issue is I like Beef way to much and that is number 1 on the environment. I really need to give up red meat.

So I have to fly to LA which is only 6 hour drive, but I am showing up and leaving the same day so no other choice.

Its bothersome, but not much I can do.
 
New EV vs Gas car

Americans drove 3.22 trillion miles in 2016. There were 263.6 million vehicles. 3,222,000/263.6 = 12,215 miles per vehicle per year. That's 33.5 miles per vehicle per day. If the vehicle were a Tesla model 3 long range or equivalent (so electric car), it takes just 8KWh/day per vehicle to drive that distance. If it were a Tesla model X or equivalent efficiency (so electric SUV), it takes just 11 KWh/day per vehicle on average to drive that distance.

A small solar system on a person's roof can completely generate enough power to fully offset the complete power needs for 2 cars, and do so at a cheaper price than buying that power from the power company.

On average each electric vehicle also eliminates the need to refine and burn 12,215/24.7 or 494.5 gallons of gasoline each year for the lifetime of those vehicles. That's an average of about 10k pounds of carbon emission eliminated each year every time someone buys an EV instead of gas car.

In addition, it takes the equivalent of 4KWh of energy per gallon to refine gasoline. That's the equivalent 2,000 kWh of energy saved, or about half of what the vehicle needs to operate for a year.

Think about all of that the next time you decide to buy a new gas powered car instead of an electric car.
I typically drive about 400-450 miles per day. I usually haul and/or tow a lot of heavy equipment, furniture, etc., so I need something large and rugged with a lot of towing capacity. Basically I need a larger SUV or truck. Oh, and it has to be under $40K or I can't afford it.

Which electric vehicle would you recommend I buy?
 
I typically drive about 400-450 miles per day. I usually haul and/or tow a lot of heavy equipment, furniture, etc., so I need something large and rugged with a lot of towing capacity. Basically I need a larger SUV or truck. Oh, and it has to be under $40K or I can't afford it.

Which electric vehicle would you recommend I buy?

There are some plug-in hybrid options in the SUV field. Some really good ones (Porsche) for less than $40K if you look.

But a full EV under $40K that is basically a truck or large SUV?

I think only the Tesla Model X is around and not for $40K unless it has a lot of milage. 3,500 lb. tow capacity.

KI may know more options though.
 
I typically drive about 400-450 miles per day. I usually haul and/or tow a lot of heavy equipment, furniture, etc., so I need something large and rugged with a lot of towing capacity. Basically I need a larger SUV or truck. Oh, and it has to be under $40K or I can't afford it.

Which electric vehicle would you recommend I buy?

Why is the cutoff the price of the car and not the total monthly expense of the car? How much do you spend on gas and maintenance each month? how many MPG does your current vehicle get?

Model X is quite a bit more than your budget, but it does come with free unlimited supercharging if you buy one and take delivery before the end of the month. My math shows you spend more on gas than the Model X costs. And even if you charge it yourself at 11 cents KWh, you should cut your fuel costs by about 70%. And also eliminate all maintenance costs except for tires.

And are you sure you need SUV or Truck, the Tesla Model 3 can tow 2k lbs and comes with 2 years of free supercharging if you take delivery by the end of the month. You may have to ask for this. This promotion is why we went ahead and pulled the trigger on the 2nd one so soon.

Several electric trucks are also coming soon. Tesla announces theirs next month, target price is to start under $50k, I imagine it would be at least a year before they are on sale, though.
 
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There are some plug-in hybrid options in the SUV field. Some really good ones (Porsche) for less than $40K if you look.

But a full EV under $40K that is basically a truck or large SUV?

I think only the Tesla Model X is around and not for $40K unless it has a lot of milage. 3,500 lb. tow capacity.

KI may know more options though.

actually, Model X can tow 5k lbs.

 

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